Travis Wood had a 4.22 ERA through his first three seasons, but this season he’s taken a huge step forward with a 2.79 ERA and his first All-Star appearance. And now the 26-year-old left-hander would like to guarantee himself a nice payday while sticking with the Cubs long term.

Wood told Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com that he’s interested in following the footsteps of Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro by signing a long-term contract extension with the Cubs, explaining: “I’d love to be a part of the core group and stay around Chicago for a while.”

To go in search of a long-term deal in the middle of a breakout season makes plenty of sense for Wood, but from the Cubs’ point of view he’s already under team control through 2016 anyway. Wood can’t become a free agent until he’s 30 years old and his secondary numbers this season don’t show the same type of dramatic improvement that his ERA does, so the Cubs probably aren’t in a big hurry.

Harvey, 29, spent 2018 with the Mets and Reds, posting an aggregate 4.94 ERA with a 131/37 K/BB ratio in 155 innings. He started off poorly with the Mets, so they traded him to the Reds in early May. He pitched much better in Cincinnati.

Harvey should have a spot secured at the back of the Angels’ rotation, but health and performance can always change that leading up to Opening Day.